Glucose-6-Phosphate
Dehydrogenase (G6PD)
Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency

is the most common human enzyme
deficiency in the world; it affects an
estimated 400 million people. G6PD
deficiency is also known as "favism," since
G6PD deficient individuals are also
sometimes allergic to fava beans. G6PD
deficiency is an allelic abnormality which is
inherited in an X-linked recessive fashion

When someone has G6PD deficiency,
complications can arise; hemolytic anemia and
prolonged neonatal jaundice are the two major
pathologies associated with G6PD deficiency.
Both of these conditions are directly related to the
inability of specific cell types to regenerate
reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
phosphate (NADPH); this reaction is normally
catalyzed by the G6PD enzyme.
Principle


Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH, Dglucose-6-phosphate) catalyzas the first step in the
pentose phosphate shunt ,oxidising glucose-6phosphate (G-6-P)to 6-phosphogluconate(6-PG)
and reducing NADP to NADPH.
G-6-P +
NADP+
G-6PDH
6-PG + NADPH + H+

NADP is reduced by G-6-PDH in the presence of
G-6-P. The rate of formation of NADPH is
directly proportional to the G-6-PDH activity and
is measured spectrophotometrically as an
increased in absorbance at 340nm. Prodution of
asecond molar equivalant of NADPH by
erythrocyte 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase
(6-PGDH) according to the reaction :

6-PG + NADP+
Ribulose-5- phosphate + NADPH + H+ + CO2
Specimen collection and storage

Whole blood collected with EDTA, heparine or
acid citrate dextrose .Red cell G-6-PDH is stable
in whole blood for one week refrigrated (28ºc),but is unsteble in red cell hemolysates.
Procedure
1.
prepare reaction mixture:
•
•
•
Add 0.01ml blood directly to vial containing
G-6-PDH assay solution and mix throughly to
completely suspend erythrocytes,
lat stand
at room tempreture(18-25ºc) for 5-10min.
Add 2.0ml G-6-PDH substrate solution
directly to vial and mix gently by inverting
several times.
Transfer contents of vial to cuvet.




Place cuvet in constant tempreture cuvet
compartment or water bath and incubate for
approximatly 5min to attain therma; equilibrium.
Read and record absorbance (A1) of test at 340
nm vs water or ptassium dichromate
solution. This is initial A .(if using awater bath or
incubator ,return cuvet to it)
Exactly 5min later, again read and record (A2),
this is final A.
To determine G-6-PDH activity do the following
calculation.
Calculation
= ΔA per min X 4839 / Hb (g/dl) X TCF
Where:
 100 = factor to convert activity to 100ml
 3.01 = total reaction volume (ml)
 0.01 = sample volume (ml)
 6.22 = mill molar absorptive of NADPH at 340 nm
 Hb (g/dl) = hemoglobin concentration determined for each
specimen
 TCF = temperature correction factor (1 at 30ºc)

Qualitative method in G-6-DP determination:

Glucose -6-phosphate dehydrogenase,present in the
red blood cell hemoysate, act on glucose -6phosphate and reduces NADP to NADPH which,
with the help of PMS, reduces blue colored
2,6Dichlorophenol Indophenol into acolorless
form.the rate of decolorization is proportional to the
enzynme activity. The reaction can be represented as:

G-6-phosphate +NADP
6-phosphogluconic acid +NADPH
Procedure:
Step1: Preparation of red cell hemolysate:
 Purified water
: 2.5ml
 Fresh blood
: 0.05ml
 Mix well and allow standing for 5min at R.T.


Step2: Assay of the enzyme:
 Add 1mi of the hemolysate (step 1) to the vial of
solution 1 and mix gently.
 Add immediately about 1ml of reagent 3.
 Seal the vial with aluminium foil and incubate in
water bath at 37ºc.
Observe: thetime taken for the color change from initial
deep blue to reddish purple. Follow up to amax. Of 6
hours with 30 min intervals.
Results
Normal: 30-60 min.
 G-6-PD deficient (heterozygous males,
homozygous female): 140min-24hr
 G-6-Pdcarriers (heterozygous females):
90min-several hours.